The Migration In Botswana With
Belmond Safaris Luxury Lodges Each year in November migratory birds start flying back to Southern Africa to escape the cold winter in the Northern Hemisphere. Belmond Safaris’ camps in Northern Botswana – Eagle Island Lodge, Khwai River Lodge and Savute Elephant Lodge - offer some of the best locations in which to spot them.
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mongst the more exotic birds flying back are the Eurasian Steppe Eagle, the Lesser Spotted Eagle, the European Bee Eater, the European White Stork and the Woolly Neck Storks. The spring and summer afternoon thundershowers in Botswana perk up the dry barren bush and savannah, and bring a gazillion bugs and insects to life. Birds thrive on this bugfilled smorgasbord. Also at this time of the year, thousands of juicy winged termites swarm out of underground nests with just one objective in mind: to find a mate, build a nest, and eventually establish a new colony – aptly known as the “wedding flight”.
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And what a feast they provide for birds arriving in Southern Africa from all over the world. In Savute the natural pans area fill up with rain water and attract a great variety of storks – many fowler’s favourite birds. Storks don’t just feast on the termites but also take full advantage of the frogs that come out to eat the termites. Eagles also enjoy termite titbits both here and in the Khwai River conservancy. BEYOND THE BIRDLIFE But it is not only feathered animals which migrate to Northern Botswana at this time of the year. A
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